


Holding out for a hero

by Mykingdomforacupoftea



Category: Hercules (1997), Supernatural
Genre: Demon!Crowley, Demon!Dean, Fluff, God!Gabriel, Greek gods, Hades!Lucifer, M/M, demon!rowena, god!castiel - Freeform, god!kali, god!lucifer, god!sam, hercules au, hercules!sam - Freeform, it's not really serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26176105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mykingdomforacupoftea/pseuds/Mykingdomforacupoftea
Summary: Found as a baby by a childless couple, Sam never felt like he belonged. His supernatural strength made him a freak in the eyes of everyone else. But he soon learns he's the son of a god, and to regain his immortality, he has to become a hero. He becomes a hunter, while the gods watch, waiting for him. But Lucifer swore to get his revenge and Sam coming back is not in his plans.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Kali (Supernatural), John Winchester/Mary Winchester, Lucifer/Sam Winchester
Comments: 37
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This a Supernatural version of Hercules (disney version). I'm having a lot of fun writing it and I hope you'll enjoy it !  
> Obviously, there are gonna be canon divergence, because I love my samifer. I think Hadès is my favourite Disney villain, so of course, Lucifer gets the role.

“It was a time when gods lived above the mortals. A time of heroes. The hero we’re gonna talk about today…”

“It’s so boring… I can’t believe Metatron is doing the lecture. I thought it would be Gadreel this semester. At least, he’s hot. Metatron is a pompous git.” Meg sighed, chewing her gum. She hated the ancient history teacher, especially when he was doing his stupid story voice.

“I like mythology, but something more lively could be great !” Charlie was playing with small figurines of an elf and a queen and was busy making them fight and kiss.

“Girls, shut up, he’s annoying, but if we don’t listen, we’re gonna fail his exam.” Kevin was actually watching Charlie play, but he really was trying to listen at the same time.

“I’d like something more fun. Hercules is great and all, but I don’t know. The story lacks something.”

“You’re right. What if Hercules fell in love with Hadès?”

“Wait what ? That makes no sense.”

“It’s Greek mythology, it’s full of absurd things and gay love stories!”

“You’re not wrong. Okay, and what if…”

What the three friends didn’t know, was that there were other universes where their theory was right. There were many universes, to be true. The one we’re going to talk about today is another version of the same stories you know. It begins with my son, in a universe where he became the god of the dead and king of the underworld and with Sam, the newborn god, who was destined to become a hero. And if they fall in love, well, it’s another universe, so, why not?

Journal of God

28/08/2020

NB : tell Metraton NOT to make a theatre version

Long ago in another universe

The Olympus Mons was jubilant. They were welcoming a new god, newborn of Gabriel and Kali. The two gods were very proud and were showing the baby to anyone. They had named him Samuel and he was already strong. They wondered what he would choose to be god of when he would be of age. With a mother who was the goddess of fire and a father who was god of illusion and tricks, his future could only be extraordinary.

“God sends his congratulations and these candies.” A buff cupid said, holding a basket full of sweets, hugging them with vigour. Gabriel dove into it right away as soon as he got out of the embrace, while Kali took the card, thanking the cupid.

“It’s time to choose him a protector. Castiel, god of family, we thank you for your offer and name you protector of our son. May you guide him to glory.”

Castiel held the baby in his arms, happy to guide his first new god. He hoped he was up to the task. He had chosen his Task recently ; gods travelled the world to find what they were connected to and Castiel had felt drawn to the mortal families and the ties they created. He placed the newborn in his cradle and thanked his parents.

The air turned cold and a voice he didn’t know made him shiver.

“Congratulation little brother, I heard you got yourself a new member for the Cloud Club.”

“Lucifer ! I didn’t think you would come. Look at him ! He looks like me, doesn’t he ? “

He didn’t and he knew it, making everyone laugh. Lucifer clenched his jaw and took a look at the baby. Gods looked like humans, so it was a wrinkled, wailing little thing. The only difference with mortals were their immortality and their powers. He had already heard about his strength, and he wondered what else would come.

The gods had stepped back, careful of avoiding his eyes. He knew he wasn’t welcome. In the beginning, his brothers and him have all lived here. Then God had created the humans and Lucifer had protested. He had been sent to Hell, charged to take care of the dead mortal souls. None of his brothers had tried to convince their father that he had made a mistake and Lucifer was still bitter about it. The first gods, his brothers and him, had watched the new ones being created. It had been exciting at first, but Lucifer had never fitted in. If his brothers hadn’t contradicted their father, the new gods had been glad to see him banished. Maybe he should have protested earlier, because they were worse than humans sometimes.

“Will you stay a bit more ?”

“I have work, souls are not going to guard themselves. Enjoy your son.”

He went back to the underworld. He took in the quiet darkness that filled the first caves before stepping into the deeper ones. Echoes of voices could be heard, thousands of souls floating and flowing inside the Pit. He patted Ramsey, his three-headed Hellhound. He had saved the poor beast of God, who had created him but found he was too vicious to keep and had tried to destroy him. The hound has flourished in Hell and had stayed loyal to Lucifer. He helped him to scare his demons or to fetch some souls that were reluctant to let go.

He saw the Fates on his way, who looked at him in a cryptic way and turned back to their work. He rolled his eyes. They went sometimes to the underworld, like now, but never talked to him. It was very annoying to see them prance around, acting like they knew everything – they did, but was it a reason to brag?

He sat on his throne, tapping his fingers on the cold armrest. He could heard Crowley and Rowena argue, which was already giving him a headache – if he had been able to have one. He yelled at them to come and they popped in front of him. Rowena curtsied until her nose was nearly touching the floor.

“My Lord, you’re back ! How was the ceremony?”

“How do you think it was. Stuck-up clouddies and their ugly baby.”

“Is he as strong as they say? I heard he could lift anything.”

“Appears so. They sicken me, with their happy mugs and silly parties.”

“My Lord, they should feel honoured to have been graced with your presence.”

Rowena and Crowley were both demons, humans who had died a long time ago but whose soul was so resilient they had stuck around. He had created the concept, because he had felt too much alone when he had landed here, but he often regretted it. He couldn’t tell if Rowena was mocking him or not, and it ran on his nerves.

“You should teach them a lesson. Why should you be the only one to suffer?”

“You’re right Crowley. I should show them what it costs to treat me like they do.”

He pressed a finger to his lips, thinking. He had often dreamt of taking his revenge but he had never acted upon it. He wondered what could send a message strong enough. There was no way to kill a god, because they were immortals of course. Trap Gabriel in a box ? Send a human to give them more work ? They were so busy with their baby… The baby ! Newborn gods were more vulnerable, but they were very rare. Maybe there was something to do with that.

He got up and teleported into Azazel’s lair. Azazel also was a demon, and a very good one. He liked to make mortal babies sick and sometimes he also killed the parents.

“Azazel. I need your help. I need a mortality potion.”

“A mortality potion? Oh… I see. I’ll do my best, my King.”

“You better.”

He got the potion a few days later. The bottle was filled with a dark liquid and he took it in hand, feeling the power. He added some of his grace. It would never work for a fully formed god, but a newborn ? It could do some damage.

He sent Rowena and Crowley.

“Take their precious baby and make him drink that. Take care, he must drink every single drop.”

They left and he sat back on his throne, hearing the moans of the dead. Finally, he was going to avenge himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam drew his bow and landed a clear shot in the middle of the target. He really had gotten better and it made him threw a fist in the air. He had broken many bows before, not knowing when to stop his strength. It had always been a big problem of his. Sam was tall, taller than anyone and strong. Not strong like Arthur, who liked to put girls on his shoulders and flex his muscles. Not strong like Kaia, who could win any fight. He was strong like only a freak was. He could lift anything. Rocks, carts, beefs and even a house once, which was not very sturdy to begin with. It was not natural and everyone in the city avoided him, thinking he was a bad omen.

John and Mary Winchester had found him when he was a babe. They had tried for child of their own for years, but nothing had worked. They were coming back from a travel when they had heard a baby crying. He was wrapped in a white cloth, next to a shattered bottle that has spilled a bit on the ground. He was crying, flailing his arms and most importantly, he was alone. They had looked at each other, not believing their luck. Mary had taken the poor child in her arms, rocking him, while John took a look around, wary. He was right, because two beasts were making their way towards them, groaning and barking. Maybe the child’s parents had already been killed by those creatures that seemed to come straight from Hell. The first beast went for Mary and the child, but as John was looking for his knife, the baby had gripped a hound leg and threw the beast a few meters farther. They couldn’t believe their eyes. The second beast also tried, but the baby seemed to have found the beast throwing very funny, because he laughed and did it a second time. When Mary put him down, awed, he crawled with difficulty and literally took one hound to hit another. The two beasts were on the ground, whining and the couple decided to take the child and run.

There was a small golden medal around the neck of the baby, that said “Samuel”. On the other side, the symbol of the old gods was engraved, shining in an almost unnatural way. They kept him. They wondered where he had come from and why did he have such a strength. No one came to ask for him, so they did their best to care of the little Sam. Little Sam who grew up really quickly, all long and awkward limbs. And a freakish strength, which caused a lot of trouble, because he had a hard time to control it. But he was kind and strong-willed, and they did everything to help him.

He was nearly 20 years old when he destroyed a whole building and nearly crushed Jessica to death. John had a really hard time apologizing for his son. More than ever, threats and insults fused. But his parents never blamed him, telling him to be patient and that the residents were just scared. He spent entire nights praying to whoever could hear, asking why he was like this. He didn’t have any friends, because everyone was scared. Garth and Jack were nice with him, but they never lingered. They were also both small and breakable, so he could understand. So he stayed on his own, trying to understand how his strength worked. His father made him bows and taught him to use it and to make arrows. His mother had taught him pottery, that they sold in the city. He had broken countless bows and bowls when he was younger. Now, he had more control, but it still happened sometimes.

“Son, are you okay?”

“Dad, I…What am I gonna do? You can’t always be here for me. And I’ll never fit in.”

“You will find your place, Sam. I know it’s hard. But I don’t doubt for a second that something great is waiting for you.”

“I just have the feeling that I won’t find it if I stay here. I should go. No one would bother you anymore because of me. And maybe I’ll find something. Dad, I don’t belong here.”

John sighed. They had tried to protect him and treat him as their own son, but they knew he wasn’t and that he had to come from somewhere. Somewhere that could maybe explain why he was special. Because that’s what they called him, special, even if everyone called him a freak.

“You’re an adult now Sam. I think it’s time to have a discussion about that.”

They told him how they had found him. The golden medal seemed heavy in his hand and his heart was beating faster.

“So, I don’t come from here?”

“No. Sam, it’s the symbol of the old gods. Your family must have been important.”

“But you think my real parents are dead.”

“We looked for information, but we didn’t find anything. Maybe you’ll be luckier.”

He hugged his parents. He would never thank them enough for all they did for him. He promised to come back as soon as he could. John gave him a knife he sheathed at his waist and Mary gave him a bracelet she made to protect him. He was in a good mood when he left. Maybe he could find a place where he belonged, where people wouldn’t look at him in fear.

He took the heavy rain with delight, the drops that battered his face giving him a feeling of exhilaration. But he was drenched, so he stopped in an inn. He had learned how to make himself small and unnoticed, so he wouldn’t attract trouble. But he was surely cursed because when he got into his room, he saw that his knife had been stolen.

“Excuse me.” He timidly said to the blond woman behind the bar.

“Yeah sweetie?”

“I think I dropped something…hum…”

“If it’s valuable, it’s Bela, boy.”

“Bela?”

“Bet you didn’t see her, I sure didn’t. Pretty, blond, really good thief.”

She took in his devastated face and gave him a drink.

“I’m Ellen, what’s your name ? You seem pretty lost for such a big guy.”

“I’m Sam. I’m looking for my family.”

“They from here?”

“No idea. I was found when I was a baby.”

He showed her the medal and she whistled at the sight, but she didn’t know where he could find any information.

“I’m sorry for Bela. Did she steal something important?”

“A knife my father gave me. I have to get it back.”

“Well, you can ask Victor. He’s been after her for a long time, and he may know where she’s gonna go.”

“Where can I find him?”

Victor was a tall, dark-skinned man, who spoke with honesty and confidence. He had apologized for coming see him so early in the morning, but the man didn’t seem bothered at all.

“That damn woman has been stealing around for years. Never could catch her. But it’s your lucky day, son, because I’ve been tracking her and I know she’s gonna be at a market not far from here. And better, I know how to catch her.” He patted a whistle on the table.

He showed him his work and Sam wondered if he could be someone like him one day. He liked to help people, but he generally screwed up. They travelled in a cart, until the horse stopped before a fallen tree.

“That’s our luck !” Victor groaned.

“Hum, maybe I can…”

“Yeah, you have another path in your chiton boy?”

Sam pressed his lips, smiling. He got off the cart and lifted the tree, pushing it out of the way. Victor’s mouth was hanging open.

“By the gods ! How is that possible?”

Sam sat back in the cart, scratching his nape.

“Don’t know. I’ve always been like that. Do you know where that could come from?”

He showed him the medal, but like Ellen, his face showed no sign of recognition. They arrived to a market crowded with more diverse people that Sam had ever seen. He shrank on himself and Victor noticed it.

“Everything alright?”

“I’m not comfortable in crowds.”

“Stay close to me.”

They got off the cart and wandered in the aisles. Sam was amazed by what the sellers were showing. Fabric in colours he had never seen, jewels in intricate patterns, meat he didn’t know which animals it had come from and even people, so different from what he was used to.

He stopped in front a stand, where an old woman was selling potteries. They were beautiful and he would have liked to show them to his parents. He hoped they were doing okay without him and that they weren’t too worried. He saw a movement in the corner of his eyes and Victor roared, launching himself after a lean figure.

“Bela ! I’m gonna catch you this time !”

Sam startled and followed them. He surprisingly managed not to knock into anyone. They ran until they were in the woods. Victor was tiring and Sam gave him a sign, taking the baton. He nearly lost her, but managed to corner her in a dead end, all in high rocks that couldn’t be climbed.

“Did you steal my knife?”

“Do you even know what it’s worth?”

“It was a gift from my father. Please, give it back to me.”

“No can do pretty boy.”

“What do you want in exchange?”

“There’s nothing you can do for me.”

Victor had caught up, panting. Bela gave him a cocky smile.

“Long time no see Victor.”

“Bela. It’s over.”

He held the whistle in sight and she paled.

“So you know what it is.”

“Do you?”

“I was told that you would be afraid of what it can do.”

“You should be scared as much as me. Where did you get it?”

“What does it do?” Sam asked.

“We’re gonna see.”

“No !” Bela shouted.

But Victor had blown into the whistle. Her hand was still in the air and she looked all around, looking terrified. A groan echoed and Sam shuddered. There was a huge beast, that looked like a hound, walking towards them.

“What’s that?”

Victor looked stunned.

“It’s a hellhound. I’ve only seen one once. I had no idea they could be called like that. You made a pact?”

“A pact?”

Bela didn’t answer, stepping back, holding the knife before her.

“Hellhounds track down those who made a pact with the King of the underworld. You get whatever you wish, but you only get ten years to live. After that, they drag you down to Hell.”

Sam had never heard of such a thing. When the beast jumped on Bela, he didn’t think. In a second, he had grabbed the hellhound by the tail and was pulling him back. The beast barked at him and tried to bite him, but he hit him and send him flying backwards. He put himself between Bela and him.

“How do you do that?”

“You can’t kill them.” Victor shouted at him.

“No, but this can.”

She pressed the knife in his hand. The beast groaned. They circled each other, until the beast was on him. They rolled and he was holding him away with one hand, trying to find an opening for the knife with the other. A sharp pain in his shoulder make him drop the blade. The hound’s teeths were piercing his skin and he shouted in pain. He managed to hit him in the head, making him stumble back. He barely had the time to grab his knife before the beast was on him once again. The blade sank into the hound’s belly and the creature howled, hot blood pouring on Sam. Then the body slumped on him, quiet.

“Damn, that was something.”

Victor held a hand out, and he pushed the body away, taking the hand to get on his feet. He was covered in blood and a bit shaken.

“You killed a hellhound.” Bela’s voice was blank. “That’s impossible.”

“But you knew the knife could do it.” Victor reminded her.

“I was desperate ! I knew he was gonna come for me. But I didn’t think I stood a chance.”

She came to Sam, giving him a clean cloth to wipe his face.

“You saved my life. I owe you.”

“Does it mean I get to keep the knife?” He said with a small laugh.

“It’s yours.” She shrugged. “And I don’t need it anymore now.”

“What did you made that pact for? It must have been important to give away your life.”

Her smile got lighter and he saw her mask drop. She seemed sad.

“It was.”

Then her mask was back and she gave him a crooked smile.

“Well, hope to never see you again. I should go.”

“I’m not done with you!” Victor exclaimed.

“Are you going to see the medium ?”

“The what?”

“I saw your medal. The symbol of the gods. Only mediums can hope to speak to them.”

“You know what it means?”

“I saw a lot of things. And I can tell you that your medal was not made on earth. Ask Pamela. She’ll help you.”

“Thank you !”

She gave him a small wave and darted in the woods again.

“You’re not gonna follow her?”

“I can give her a head start. It was really impressive what you did. Come on, we’re gonna find some water to wash that.”

Once he had washed, he felt better.

“So you’re gonna look for that Pamela?”

“Yeah, I hope she can explain … well me.”

“Be careful. I wouldn’t like to be mixed up with gods business.”

“I need to know the truth.”

They got back to the market and they parted way, shaking hands.

“It was nice meeting you, son. I wish you good luck.”

“Thank you for your help.”

He touched the medal around his neck. He was a bit closer.


	3. Chapter 3

It hadn’t been easy to find Pamela. He had to ask a lot of people, and very few knew where she lived. He finally found a small temple who indicated him a small cabin in the woods. Pamela was a distrustful woman, who was used to being the joke of people. She welcomed Sam once he showed her his medal.

“Can I take a good look at it?”

He gave it to her and she examined it carefully.

“I’ve seen something like that metal once. Where did you find that ?”

“It was around my neck when my adoptive parents found me.”

“You’re aware it’s the metal of the gods, right? I’ve never seen an entire object made from it, only pieces fallen on hills.”

“So, do you think you can help me know where I come from?”

“I’ll have to make a call.” She winked at him. “But gods are capricious, they rarely answer. If they want something, it’s them who talk to you.”

“There are gods who talked to you?”

“Yeah. If you’re ready to believe it.”

“People are scared of you.”

“Takes one to know one. What’s your deal?”

“I’m too strong. Like, break a wall without noticing kind of strong. I killed a hellhound on my way to you.”

She breathed loudly, impressed. She prepared candles, traced a circle in which she wrote weird letters and put several ingredients in a bowl.

“I’m gonna need a bit of your blood.”

He gave her his hand and she made a small cut, a few drops falling in the bowl. She kept his hand in hers and began chanting. The bowl shook and soon, a flame appeared above it.

“Well, that was fast !”

The face of a blond man appeared in the flame.

“What …? Sam!”

The head disappeared and suddenly, there was a man standing next to them. He hugged Sam tightly.

“Sam ! We looked for you everywhere ! We thought you were dead ! I couldn’t believe it when I felt your blood call.”

“Huh…I’m sorry, but… Who are you?”

“I’m your father ! Gabriel, god of illusion and tricks. You’ve grown so much ! But you’re mortal, what happened?”

Sam ears were ringing. He was the son of a god? How could it be possible?

“I don’t understand. My parents found me on Earth, alone.”

“You disappeared. We just had you and you were gone. We couldn’t find you. I understand why now. Someone made you mortal. Who could have done that? Nevermind. You’re here. Wait until your mother learns that ! “

“I have a mother?”

“Of course you do ! The most beautiful goddess ever born ! Kali is the goddess of fire.”

“Can I meet her?”

“Oh Sam… Only gods can live in the Olympus. But it’s not all lost. It’s gonna be hard, but there’s a way.”

“What do you I have to do ?”

“If you want to regain your immortality, you have to prove you can be a hero. Then you’ll become a god again.”

“How do I do that?”

Gabriel smiled in a mischievous way and snapped his fingers. Another man appeared, with dark hair and blue eyes.

“This is Castiel, your protector. He will guide you to Bobby.”

“Who’s Bobby?”

“He trains heroes. Go to him, he will help you. I can’t stay longer, but Castiel has sworn allegiance to you. Good luck, son!”

He disappeared and Pamela breathed out, looking at Sam with wide eyes. Castiel was looking at Sam with a bewildered expression.

“Sam, I thought I would never see you again.”

“I remember you.”

Indeed, his mind flashed him the image of a man cradling him in his arms. Pamela was drinking straight from a bottle of liquor, eyes fixed on Castiel.

“Let’s go.”

He didn’t have the time to say goodbye to Pamela, Castiel had already touched his forehead and they were now in the middle of a very messy ground.

“Wow, you could have said something !”

His head was spinning and he had to take a moment to regain the control of his body.

“Sorry.”

“Can all gods do that?”

“Yes. It’s hard to believe you were raised among the mortals. How was it?”

“I had wonderful parents. They raised me like their own son. But I was…different. I never felt like I belonged there.”

There were broken carts, odd sculptures, carved rocks, pieces of walls and many other things lying around them.

“Where are we?”

“Bobby lives here.”

He wondered what that Bobby was like and why he was living in such a mess. They walked among the piled objects. Something landed next to them with an impressive speed. A blade had sunk into a tree and Sam’s heart missed a beat.

“Who are you ? What do you want?”

“I’m Castiel, this is Sam. We need you help.”

“What for?”

A scruffy man appeared behind a cart. He had a few knives in his hands, like the one he had thrown at them.

“Sorry for that, I thought you were wendigos. They always come at this period of the year.”

Sam had no idea what a wendigo was, but he had to guess they weren’t friendly. He held out a hand.

“Hello, I’m Sam. My father, the god Gabriel, sent me to you to train me. I have to become a hero.”

He got a deadpan look and his hand stayed ignored.

“I don’t do business with gods anymore. It only gave me trouble. Go play somewhere else, boy.”

“He is the son of the god Gabriel and the goddess Kali, and I’m the god of family. Sam has been turned mortal when he was just born and that is an injustice that has to be repaired. You will train him.” Castiel’s tone was firm.

Bobby looked like he was going to argue but Sam pleaded him.

“Please. It’s my only chance.”

“I trained a lot of hunters and what did I got for my trouble? Jack ! With a side of squat! Colt, Campbell, Turner… They were all great hunters, heroes ! But they all died in the end. I don’t have the strength to see another one die.”

“Well I’ve got this and I’m stronger than any human.”

Bobby watched the knife with interest.

“That’s a good start, but are you ready to use it?”

“I killed a hellhound with it.”

Bobby’s eyes darted towards his shoulder.

“That a hellhound bite? That’s all you got from a fight with one of those beasts?”

He nodded and Bobby narrowed his eyes.

“I’ll give you a chance. But if you whine or if you’re not good enough, you’ll have to go home.”

“I won’t disappoint you ! Thank you !”

Bobby made a small place in his house for Sam to settle. Castiel didn’t need to sleep or eat and he liked to be outside better.

The training began the next day.

“You’re scrawny for a tall guy like you.”

“But I’m strong.”

“I know, but muscle isn’t bad. It can intimidate enough so you don’t even have to fight.”

He taught him to use many weapon, to hit the most vulnerable places of the body. And he taught him about the monsters.

“But…monsters don’t exist. It’s just a story to scare children, right?”

“Did the hellhound looked like a story, son ? Shut up and listen.”

He learned about all kind of monsters. Wraith, ghouls, wendigos, vampires… And the way to kill each of them. He learned about the gods too, from Castiel. He liked to hear stories about his parents.

It wasn’t easy every day. Strength wasn’t the only skill required to become a hunter. But Sam was determined and a quick learner. He asked Castiel to give a message to his parents back in Lebanon. Castiel came back with food and a scarf and news of the couple. They were happy to hear he had found who he was – once the shock of seeing a god and learning that Sam was one had passed.

Sam worked hard, focused on his goal. A few months later, he could already see the difference. He wasn’t skin and bones anymore, he controlled his strength way more easily and he had learned a lot. He couldn’t wait to hunt some real monsters. Castiel witnessed his progress with pride and reported back to Gabriel and Kali from times to times. The gods were delighted to hear about their son and they were impatient to welcome him among them. The other gods too listened with attention, excited at the news.

Sam learned the year after what wendigos were from up close. Bobby covered him but let him hunt them alone. Sam succeeded with ease and Bobby’s heart swelled with pride. He ruffled his hair and made him his favourite dinner.

“You’ll be ready soon.”

His eyes were a bit shiny, but he claimed it was the liquor. Sam said nothing. He would be sad to leave Bobby too. The man was blunt, rough around the edges but he was good person and he treated Sam like a son.

It had been two years since he had met Bobby when the man told him to “get out of here”. He gave him some last advice, and clapped his shoulder.

“You’re gonna make it, kid. Don’t forget about me when you’ll be up there.”

“Of course Bobby, thank you for everything.”

“Now, go to Croatoan. ‘tis a tough city, but you’ll make a name for yourself there.”

He gave a last wave of the hand and Castiel flew them to the city. It made him think of the market where Victor had taken him to to find Bela and his knife. It was swarming with people, full of noises and smells. Castiel was stopped by a man who tried to sell him luck charms and Sam had to pull him by the arm, reminding him that he didn’t need that.

They walked in random directions, listening to people.

“What are we looking for?”

“Signs. Like…”

There was blood on the pavement. They followed the trail and found a child crying, pressing himself against the wall, with a – wraith, it was a wraith, a real one ! – green, insect-like monster above him. Sam didn’t hesitate. His knife found his target and the body was dropping on the floor. The child had curled into a ball, hands around his head. He approached him slowly.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s dead, you’re safe. I’m Sam, what’s your name ?”

“Ben.” The boy sniffled.

He took his hand, wiping the boy’s clothes.

“Where do you live? I’ll take you back.”

The child pointed ahead of him and Sam followed him. His parents were grateful and even proposed to pay him when the boy told hem what had happened. He refused and left.

“That was impressive.”

They both turned towards the voice. A dark blond-haired man was leaning against the wall, a small smile on his freckled face.

“You got some moves. Never saw you in the city though. Hunters are rare.”

“Are you a hunter too?”

“Nah, too dangerous, you can get killed ! I’m Dean.”

“Sam and this is Castiel. We’re new here.”

“I can show you around if you want.”

He was friendly and Sam accepted. Castiel seemed a bit reluctant, for a reason he didn’t understand, but said nothing. Dean showed them the spots to know, the market place, inns, the theatre… They stopped to drink in a small inn.

“You don’t drink ?” He asked Castiel, who shook his head, with his usual serious face. “Your loss.”

He gulped some alcohol like it was milk.

“Where do you come from then?”

“Lebanon, it’s a small city.”

“Never heard of it.”

“I’m here to hunt, do you know where I can find monsters?”

“Well, if you looking to get hurt, I can’t stop you. There have been more attacks recently. I can point you to some people.”

Sam relaxed in his seat. Castiel told him in a low voice that he didn’t trust Dean but Sam waved him off. He was on the right way and had even found an ally. It wouldn’t be long until he could sit on the clouds with his parents.

Lucifer was petting Ramsey when the door opened.

“You found him?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Make sure he finds all the monsters he wants.”

Dean bowed and left the room, sighing in relief. It was always a trial to be in the same place that the god of the dead. If only he hadn’t been that naïve, he wouldn’t be stuck here.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucifer picked an apple from the tree and bit in it. The juice was fresh and even a god could appreciate the sweetness of it. The garden was small, dark and quiet. He had created it right after being banished in Hell, in memory of the garden he liked so much in the Olympus Mons. He missed it. Guarding the souls of dead mortals was not an exciting task. He had spent the first few decades raging, taking out his anger on the souls. Then he had calmed down, still hurt but resigned. He had a few demons who roamed the halls, like Crowley and Rowena. Damned souls, who had made a pact and were bound to him.

Dean was one of them. When the hellhound had been found dead, he had asked Crowley and Rowena to find who was responsible. They had reluctantly given him the answer. He had tortured them for days for their failure and for their lies. They had assured him Sam was dead. Instead of that, the boy was now hunting monsters and well aware of his origins. When Sam had been declared lost, Gabriel had come to the underworld. He had stifled the pang of regret he had felt before his broken-hearted brother and had kept his crime secret. Gabriel didn’t come back a second time and soon, it was like nothing had changed. Talk about a revenge.

The prospect of Sam coming back brought conflictual emotions in him. Some anger, because his plan has failed, but also excitement, because it was a new challenge. He knew the gods were following the boy’s progress closely and he was also curious. Sam was strong but he was mortal. Would he end up on the clouds or in the Pit ?

Crowley was drinking a human beverage, which he whined about because it didn’t affect him like it did when he was alive. But he liked the taste, so he never stopped going to Earth to find some.

“Do you think the little hero will die?” Rowena wondered.

“Probably. Dean will lead him to the most dangerous monsters. He’s only mortal now.”

“I hope he’s gonna put up a good fight. It’s been pretty boring these days.”

Sam avoided the claws and pierced the Djinn’s heart with the stake he had soaked in lamb blood. The monster shrieked and dropped dead.

“Thank you ! Thank you so much ! You’re a hero !”

There were indeed a lot of monsters in Croatoan. Dean was incredibly useful and helped Sam a lot to find them. He had now his own network and people could ask him directly if they had a monster problem. His reputation was excellent and he learned he even had fans, who sent him gifts. He got flowers, food, beautiful decorative objects and sometimes love letters. It was really weird.

Dean was the brother he never had. The three of them went everywhere and Castiel slowly become less stiff in Dean’s presence. Sam found them in their flat, Dean pouring liquor for Castiel.

“Come on, there must be an amount that makes you feel something !”

“I could bring you some ambrosia, you would like it.”

Castiel drank his cup in a single mouthful and Dean laughed.

“Damn. You gods are sure made of stronger stuff.”

They were casually laughing with each other and Sam was glad to see them getting along so well. When Dean left, he heard Castiel humming a song he didn’t know.

“What are you singing?”

“It’s a human song that Dean taught me.”

“Thought you didn’t trust him.”

“Well no, not at first. But he’s really kind and helpful…”

The god has stilled, mouth agape and he shook his head before putting a chair back in its place.

“I mean, for you. He’s good for you.”

Sam lied down on the couch.

“Do you think it’s gonna be long until I can go home?”

“I don’t know. You saved a lot of people, Sam. But you’re not there yet.”

Sam sighed. He wanted to make his parents proud so badly but he didn’t know what he was supposed to do.

He spent days in a desperate state, throwing himself into hunting without taking a break. He barely slept, too tense. Castiel was worried, but he didn’t know either was Sam could do in addition to all his work.

It was a hot night and he woke up in a sweat, in the middle of the night. He waited for his breathing to go back to normal before going to drink water. As he opened the door, he saw Castiel slipping out of the house, checking around him. It was weird and Sam followed him on a whim. They reached a garden, with a pound and huge trees. Castiel stood in the middle of the trees, visibly waiting for someone. Finally, Dean appeared and they got into a tight embrace. They sat on a bench, hands joined and hushed voices. Sam hadn’t seen that coming.

Castiel loved humanity but was very awkward when it came to interact with humans. He didn’t understand most of the social codes and he often made mistakes. He had been distrustful of Dean at first, for some reason, but maybe it was because he hadn’t understood that he was attracted to the man. He was glad to see them together.

Lucifer was getting impatient. He sent monster after monster and Sam always won. He never was even injured badly. He tortured a few souls to ease some of his tension. It was intriguing, he has to admit. The boy was good. But he wasn’t going to let a mortal win.

Dean reported every fight to him. He listened to the last one – an alpha werewolf and his whole pack. All dead.

“That’s enough. Dean, find his weakness. What about that god who’s always with him? Does he know anything?”

“I don’t want to do that !” Dean blurted.

“I’m sorry, what did you just said?”

“I’m done. Sam is a good man and an amazing hunter, and Castiel… He would never betray Sam. He’s…”

Lucifer was disappointed. Dean had been a great demon. He wouldn’t have thought he could fall to human feelings.

“Castiel hmm?”

Dean turned away, fists clenched. His emotions were raw on his face and Lucifer could feel _love_ radiating from him.

“Oh Dean…That’s a really bad idea, you know. Falling in love with a god? Should I remind you why you’re here, working for me? If you hadn’t been so in love with your precious Lisa, you wouldn’t have sold your soul to save her. And she wouldn’t have left you for another man, taking your son with her. Haven’t you been hurt enough? And a god ? You think he would love you if he knew what you are? Come back to reality, Dean.”

“I don’t care.”

“Fine, you drive a hard bargain.” Lucifer smiled. “What about this ? You find the way to beat Sam, and you’re free from me. Do we have a deal?”

The expression on Dean’s face was priceless.

Dean’s heart was heavy. Castiel noticed he wasn’t in a good mood and asked what was wrong.

“You’re perfect Cas, and I’m… I’m not. I don’t want you to end up hurt.”

“You can’t hurt me Dean, I’m way too strong.”

Dean laughed.

“I know, I don’t mean it like that. But I’m bad luck. People around me, they don’t stay happy.”

“Dean, I am happy with you. Why do you think you don’t deserve happiness?”

“I did bad things. Really bad things. It’s never going away.”

Castiel held Dean’s hand tighter and kissed him.

“Stop worrying. It’s gonna be alright.”

Dean wanted to believe him. He also wanted to tell him everything, but he lacked the courage. He had to find a way to deceive Lucifer.

“I should go, Sam is gonna wonder where I go every night. I think he has already noticed.”

Castiel disappeared. Dean shouted in frustration. He was stuck. There was no way he would be able to find a loophole in his contract.

“You know Dean, I’m really gonna begin to believe that you’re not putting your heart in it.”

The mocking voice didn’t startle him. He was used to it. But it made him angry.

“Why can’t you leave them alone? What have they done to you?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“I understand enough. You’re a bored, sick bastard and you’re gonna end up alone like you deserve ! If you weren’t so busy thinking about yourself, you would see what you’re missing.”

“Careful there.”

“You don’t scare me. Admit it, you’re jealous of the attention Sam gets.”

Red eyes glowed and Dean lost consciousness.

“Jealous… As if the little hunter was worth the attention. Maybe it’s time I see for myself what he’s made of.”

Sam was tired today. He had fought a nest of vampires and had to run to the other side of the town to chase a Djinn. The two fights had taken a lot on him and he was still preoccupied by the whole true hero thing. What made a real hero ? He had fought every single monster he had encountered, saved dozens of lives and was praised by all. It was frustrating as hell.

Castiel wasn’t home when he got up and he figured he was with Dean. Those two really thought they were discreet, and it was hilarious. He took a bottle of water and went to his training field. He was tired, but running cleared his mind. He had made a few laps when he stopped and was interrupted by a voice.

“Sam Winchester. Finally, we meet for real. Have to say, you look even bigger that what they say.”

The newcomer had blond hair, and wore a black toga. He had little smirk and a strong presence, arms crossed on his chest.

“Who are you?”

“Name is Lucifer, god of the dead and king of the underworld. And you, my friend, are terrible for my business.”

He had heard of him, from Castiel, but he didn’t know much. Castiel himself didn’t know a lot about him, as he had come to existence way long after the god was banished in Hell. He knew that the other gods didn’t like him much and that he had rebelled against God because of humans, but that was it.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but why?”

“Well, do you know how many of my monsters you killed? And how many people did not die because of that?”

“They are yours?”

“You killed one of my hellhounds first.”

Lucifer watched the hunter squirm before him. He understood why the gods kept talking about him. Even mortal, he was impressive. It wasn’t his frame, tall and broad, or his lush hair and puppy eyes, it was the utter kindness and strong will he exuded. His soul was bright and fluid, giving all the signs of greatness. He was _good_. Soon to be a hero. Even Lucifer was touched by it. It was overwhelming.

Sam was a bit uncomfortable under the gaze of the god. There was something terribly intriguing in him and he couldn’t pinpoint what. He wanted to get closer and had to stop himself not to move.

“So, if you could get out of my hair for a little bit, that would be wonderful.”

“I can’t do that.”

“I’m not asking much, really. Give me 24 hours and we’re done.”

“No.”

Lucifer tapped a finger on his mouth, then snapped his fingers. Dean appeared next to him.

“Sam, don’t give him what he wants ! “

“Yeah, bad god of the dead, bla bla bla, we know how it goes.”

He snapped his fingers once more and Dean was gagged.

“Leave him out of this.” Sam warned.

Lucifer pointed a finger at Sam.

“24 hours, without your force. You say yes, I let him go. Do we have a deal?”

Castiel popped next to him. He took in the situation and wanted to go to Dean, but Lucifer made him step back with a flick of the wrist.

“What do you want Lucifer?”

“I only came here to make an offer to Sam. What should I do, little hero? Should I keep him? Or do you want to yes to me?”

“Yes. You have a deal.”

Lucifer clapped his hands.

“Perfect. Dean, I’m a god of my word, you gave me leverage, your soul is free. I’m surprised that you haven’t noticed he was a demon of mine, Castiel. Love is really blind I guess. You can keep your pet, if you still want him.”

With a satisfied smile, he disappeared. Dean would never have thought that freedom could taste so bitter.


	5. Chapter 5

“What happens now Castiel?”

  
The god looked down. 

  
“I should get back to the Mons, ask for help.”   
The city was burning. Monsters he had never seen roamed the streets, and he was strengthless. They were hard to kill, and Castiel believed they were leviathans, old monsters that had been locked down deep in Hell because they were too dangerous. Even gods felt threatened by them.   
“I failed, didn’t I ? What was I thinking, me, a hero? I’m responsible forthis. For all of this, I’m sorry, Castiel.”

  
He didn’t dare to bring Dean’s name. Castiel had been wary of him at first, and he had been right. The god was still blaming himself for not noticing anything. He should have been able to see it, but Dean had been charming, fascinating and had made him happy. He hadn’t listened to the man’s apologies, too hurt by the betrayal and worried about Sam, who didn’t look well. They had left the training ground and had heard shouting as the ground shook.

  
“You’ll be alright? Don’t do anything too dangerous. I’ll be back soon.”

  
Castiel disappeared and Sam dropped his head in his hands. He was feeling weak for he first in his life. He had been trained to fight but he had always counted on his strength and he wasn’t sure he could manage without it. But he couldn’t let the monsters kill people like they wanted. He couldn’t let them down.   
He began to set traps for them, using the fire spreading everywhere to weaken them. It was an arduous task and it would take some time, but it worked. 

  
“Need a hand?”

  
“Why are you back?”

  
Dean looked genuinely sorry. 

  
“Look, I’m still a demon. I can’t die a second time, so I can be helpful.” 

  
“Answer me honestly. Did you use Castiel to get information?”

  
“No.” 

  
There was too much much emotion in his answer to be fake. Sam gave him a small smile and gave him a rope. They both got down to work. 

Sam was out of breath, blood dripping down his forehead. He could feel his muscles scream in pain and his back hurt like hell. The hits he had taken had been harsh, and he really didn’t like fighting without his super strength. The monster hissed and shrieked, trying to bite him. Dean closed the trap on him and they severed his head. Dean was in a better state than him, perk of being a demon.

  
“Sonof a bitch! He puked goo all over me!”

  
Sam laughed at Dean, who was wiping his face. Castiel reappeared next to them.

  
“Sam…what is he doing here?”

  
“He’s helping, Castiel. He was bound to Lucifer, he’s not anymore and he wants to help.”

  
Dean threw a hopeful glance at the god, who frowned.

  
“Fine. The gods have told me about a spell that can banish the leviathans to Hell. We’re gonna need a few things.”

  
They decided to split up, to find the ingredients. Castiel would go the furthest, as he could teleport, in the forest to pick a specific fungus. Dean would retrieve chalk, a chicken heart and a leviathan head, while Sam would go in a temple to take sacred bones.

  
“Meet you at the market place.”

The forest was noisy, animals aware of the chaos occurring. Squidward mushrooms were not that common, and he hoped he would find one quickly – if possible in this forest, because he hadn’t the time to scout every forest in the world. He was looking for a red fungus with tentacle-like arms and a putrid smell, which shouldn’t be too similar to anything else. He avoided a panicked boar and a few crows and tried to send some calming energy as far as he could. It seemed to have worked, the forest becoming suddenly quieter. Surprisingly, he found the fungus not long after. He picked two, just in case and left. The market place had been deserted, leaving everything behind. There were objects and food scattered everywhere. He saw Dean approaching him, a leviathan head in a hand, the other hand dripping with chicken blood. He put the items on the ground, and they soon were standing next to each other, avoiding the other’s eyes. 

  
“We’re also gonna need some of your blood. Makes the spell more potent.”

  
“Sure.”

  
The awkward distance was unbearable. 

  
“Dean…”

  
“Castiel…”

  
They both locked eyes, signalling the other to keep talking. 

  
“Cas, I didn’t fake any of this. And I wanted so much to tell you …”

  
“What did he hold against you?”

  
“My soul against the life of a woman I loved. She was pregnant, and she got sick, really sick. I was desperate. But she left. I don’t know what they became.”

  
“Did she know?”

  
“No. But I wouldn’thave wanted her to stay out of guilt.” 

  
“You’re a good man, Dean. I’m sorry you became a demon.”

  
“Nah, it’s okay. I met you, so, it’s not that bad, really.”

  
They stared at each other for a while, hesitant, before Castiel gently put a hand on the back of his head and kissed him. 

  
Sam retrieved his knife from the dead leviathan and opened the vault. Dust flew everywhere and he coughed, closing his eyes. He spotted the bones, lying behind a broken grid. Only one was needed and he picked it up.

  
“Samuel, I’m afraid you’re gonna have to stay here.”

  
A bearded, slightly round man was standing in the opening, smiling, with two hellhounds at his side. Before Sam had the time to say anything, the vault was shut close, the hellhounds groaning at him. He clenched the knife in his hand. He could barely see anything, scarcely lighted by a small window above him.  
The beasts jumped and he barely had the time to roll on the floor to avoid them. He tried to open the vault, but the door didn’t budge. He swore, turning to watch the hounds. They circled him and he swallowed, heart gone crazy. He was trapped, there were two of them and he didn’t have his strength… He closed his eyes, remembering how his father had taught how to use a bow and he wished he had it with him now. But he didn’t, and he was going to die like that. Everyone was going to be so disappointed. The closest hound closed its jaw on his arm and he screamed in pain. He tried not to move, because it would only rip his limb off faster. So he took a deep breath and sank his knife in its eye. A howl made the walls rumble and he didn’t loose time, hitting a second time, aiming for the neck. Blood sprayed and the second hellhound barked, but was slowed down by the body dropping between them. His left arm was bleeding and the pain was shooting through his bone up to his shoulder.   
The beast tilted its head and pawed around the dead body, claws scraping the floor. He stepped back, until he felt the wall behind his back. The vault was cramped and there wasn’t any place to hide. The hound’s growl sounded like a laugh. What had Bobby said once? He was sure the grumpy man had taught him about hellhounds, but he couldn’t remember. The beast jumped and he was fast enough to avoid it, but his claws cut him in the chest. He fell, crawling towards the bone. He cut his hand on a metallic bar lost from the grid and he remembered. Holding the iron bar in front of him, he got up. The hound growled but stayed at distance. He swayed the bar to approach, making the beast step back. It tried to attack but Sam didn’t budge, and the hound whimpered when the bar made contact with it. Furious, the hellhound howled and tried to bite him. Sam took the bar in both hands and stuck it between his fangs. They fought for a while, until the beast gave up, burned by the iron. Sam took advantage of the few seconds of break to stab it in the head.   
The second body dropped and Sam leaned on the vault door, his wounds reminding him how much he was hurt. He banged on the door, frustrated. He looked around. The window was a bit high, but there was a hellhound collapsed just under it. He climbed on the corpse. He had to jump to reach the opening, pulling himself with difficulty. His arm felt like it was going to break. He squeezed his body through the narrow window and let himself out. Thankfully the man – a demon, he guessed – wasn’t here anymore. He limped to the market place.   
Castiel an Dean were kissing and he laughed, relieved. They jumped when they heard him, parting immediately, pink-cheeked. 

  
“You’re hurt !”

  
“Hellhounds.”

  
He held out the bone. 

  
“So, how are we doing this?” 

  
Castiel taught him the spell and drew the circle with letters that Sam had never seen. They put the bowl in the middle and dropped the ingredients in it.

  
“The head won’t fit.” Dean groaned.

  
“Eyes will do.”

  
“Yuck.” 

  
Dean asked him his knife and dropped the eyes in the bowl. He then cut his forearm, letting blood drip on it. 

  
“You can go Sam.”

  
He recited the incantation as Castiel added a flaming piece of wood. The flame grew on several meter high and took a deep purple colour. The ground shook for the second time this day and began to open. They stepped back. The hole was big enough for a house to fit. They waited.   
It was like nothing had happened at first, but they looked around and saw leviathans all around them. They were looking at them, a crowd of monsters, tightly packed but unmoving. 

  
“I thought it was supposed to draw them in.”

  
“It was.” 

  
“Then why are they looking at us?” 

  
Sam drew out his knife. Didn’t know how, but he understood what he had to do.

  
“I’ll draw them in.”

  
“What? Sam, if you step there, you’re in Hell, there’s no coming back !”

  
“I created this mess! I’ll fix it. Take care of each other guys.”

  
He didn’t let them the time to protest. He jumped. Every leviathan followed. The hole closed after letting the last one pass and Castiel and Dean were alone, the town suddenly quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, they made up fast !


	6. Chapter 6

He was falling. The darkness was thick around him and he could hear distant howling. He lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he noticed two things. One, his body didn’t hurt anymore. Two, he was in a forest. The grass was soft under his hands and there were all kind of flowers, plants and trees. An elegant bird, with red and golden feathers, plunged in the stream and shook his wings, water gleaming on them. He looked around. The sky was dark, stars shining brightly.

Where was he? He got up and checked his body. The skin was intact, clear from any blood. He frowned. His knife was still at his waist at least. He began walking, taking in the new décor. It was a beautiful forest, full of green leaves and bright coloured birds and flowers. He followed the stream, hoping it would lead him somewhere.

He found the source a few minutes later. It didn’t make any sense though. The stream seemed to fall down from the sky, but it stopped mid-air, water pouring out of nowhere. It fell in three beds, each one winding and disappearing in the forest around. Next to that was an enormous tree, with round and red fruits.

“Where the hell am I?”

A growl made him jump and draw his knife out. A huge hellhound was facing him. But it had three heads. The beast was bigger than the ones he had already seen. It sniffed the air, then barked once before wagging a giant tail – well three tails. It didn’t move further though and instead put his chest to the ground, ears flattening. It yapped this time and began whining. The beast didn’t seem that threatening and Sam sheathed his knife, approaching slowly. The hound waited until he was close to sniff him, his cold nose tickling his sides. Then the beast rolled on his back, its three heads looking at him expectantly. Sam laughed, dumbfounded.

“Are you asking me to pet you?”

The hound yapped, the tails wiggling faster, with a dull sound each time one was hitting the grass. Sam carefully put a hand on the huge belly. It was soft and warm and the hellhound seemed to appreciate it. He marvelled at the softness of the beast’s fur. He had never been able to really look at a hellhound before, too busy avoiding to be mauled to death. The creature was pitch black, with short fur and red eyes. The skull was shaped like the one of a god, but the fangs have nothing to do with the usual breeds.

“I wish the others were as friendly as you.”

The hellhound turned back on its legs and playfully ran around. Sam went to the tree and picked a fruit that looked like an apple, but had a strange, rough surface. He went for a bite.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

He stopped himself before his teeth sank in the flesh and turned. Lucifer was petting the hellhound on the head.

“It’s toxic for mortals.”

“We’re in Hell.”

It wasn’t a question. Castiel had said that he would land in Hell, and even though it didn’t look like he expected, the god’s presence confirmed it.

“Welcome to my humble kingdom.”

The hellhound ran to Sam and pushed him gently, nibbling at his hand. He gave it the apple and the hound ate it eagerly.

“Ramsey likes you. That’s weird.”

“It’s yours?”

“She was cast out here, like me. She’s my most loyal compagnon.”

Ramsey was rubbing one of her heads against Sam, growling with a purr-like softness. He buried his fingers in her fur.

“I didn’t expect you to jump in here. You realize you’re stuck, do you?”

“Dean is free, the leviathans are locked up. Seems pretty good to me.”

Lucifer scratched his chin.

“I’ll never understand your kind. Well, since you’re here for…eternity really, you better get comfortable. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Sam hesitated. He didn’t understand the sudden change in Lucifer’s attitude. He had done everything to kill him and now he wanted to play the good host?

“Aren’t you mad at me? I kinda destroyed your plans.”

“My beef is with my father. Maybe he’ll show himself if he learns you’re here. And I’m pretty sure my siblings are the ones mad at the moment.”

He offered him his hand and Sam slowly took it. They were now before a giant door and Lucifer opened it with a snap of his fingers.

Castiel was pacing.

“What am I gonna tell to the others? I was supposed to protect him !”

Dean was looking at the ground when Sam had disappeared with the leviathans.

“I could try to go, I’m a demon…”

“No Dean ! You’re not going there.”

His tone was harsh, but the worry on his face was clear. He took Dean’s hands in his.

“You won’t have to go to Hell ever again. You can live on Earth now.”

“I’m not gonna let Sam down there, I would still be Lucifer’s pet without him.”

“I’ll find something. But don’t try alone, please.”

He cupped Dean’s cheek and left. He hesitated before knocking, but he had no choice. Gabriel jumped on him.

“Where is he? Did I miss something?”

He gulped and told him the whole story.

“I told him to play the hero, but that’s not what I meant ! I can’t believe Lucifer was behind all that…”

“I can. Disappointed, but not surprised. You’re the only one who trusts your brother that much.”

Kali greeted Castiel and put her hand on Gabriel’s shoulder.

“Gabriel, the spell we gave him locked the leviathans in Hell, but if Sam jumped with them, he’s bound there too.”

“Then we’ll ask Lucifer to release him !”

Kali pinched her nose and sighed.

“I said nothing because he was your brother, but…Gabriel, who do you think abducted Sam and made him mortal? Who else would have the power to do such a thing?”

Gabriel was looking down, a sad smile on his face.

“I should have said something when Dad cast him out. He’s still furious, isn’t he?”

“I don’t care how he feels, not if he’s messing with my son !”

“You’re right, of course. We’ll find something.”

People had come back to the town, still shocked by the monster attack. The rumours of Sam’s sacrifice hadn’t taken more than a few hours to reach the most isolated ear and there were already small gatherings everywhere to pay him their respect. Dean was alone in the house, drinking, when someone knocked at his door. He ran to the door to open.

“When did you learn to knock, you…”

It wasn’t Castiel. It was a shorter, bearded man, with a gruffy look.

“You Dean? I’m Bobby, Sam’s trainer. What happened?”

The man entered without waiting for Dean to invite him in. He was exactly like Castiel and Sam had described him, so Dean got out more liquor and poured two drinks.

“You’re gonna need it, sit down.”

He told him the big lines, watching the pride, anger and then worry succeed each other on the man’s face.

“Can the gods do something? It’s their brother after all.”

“I don’t know, Cas’s not back yet.”

The man had taken the news of him being a demon very well. He had only frowned when Dean had admitted he had been working for Lucifer. Castiel popped next to him and Bobby jumped, nearly falling off the chair he was sitting on.

“For the love of gods, stop doing that !” He yelled.

“Sorry. I’m glad to see you Bobby.”

“I wish I could say the same, what were you doing instead of stopping him from taking shitty decisions?”

Castiel looked like a scolded child instead of a powerful god and Dean had to stop himself from laughing at the sight they made.

The rest of Hell was more like he had imagined. It was dark, grim and dull. The stream of souls flowed in the air and ended up in the Pit. There were demons who passed through the halls, and shouts could be heard in some closed rooms. Smaller hellhounds watched the demons and souls. They had groaned at Sam at first, but Ramsey had barked and they had stopped. Lucifer had raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised at the beast’s behaviour. They ended in the throne room and he made an armchair for him. Sam sank into it.

“The garden. Why is it so different from the rest?”

“There was nothing when I ended up here, so I made it. From the garden of Olympus.”

“Why were you sent here ?”

“Because I was against the creation of humanity and my father didn’t want to hear any complain.”

He was slouched on his throne, lazily petting Ramsey. Sam was looking at him with attention, noticing small details. How his hair stuck out, as if he had passed his hands on it, the golden threads shining in his toga, the lines on his face that made him look older than Sam, the way his fingers were always wiggling or rubbing his face. He still exuded that intriguing force that Sam had noticed the first time he had met him.

“You’re the one who made me mortal, are you ?”

“Strong _and_ clever ? No wonder they’re rooting for you, up there.”

“Why?” He asked softly.

“Bu the way, the 24 hours are up, your strength is back.”

The dismissal made it clear that he didn’t want to answer the question. Sam didn’t push. They had all the time in the world to talk.

The gods had gathered and Castiel was listening to them argue, a bit annoyed.

“We should attack Hell with our armed force !”

“I think we should create a new spell, to bring Sam back.”

“We should wait for Zeus!”

“No one has seen him for thousands of year !”

“Well, we can try to find him !”

The discussion went to Zeus and his whereabouts. He had indeed disappeared a long time ago and no one knew where he was or why he had left. Some wanted to find him, because he would be the only one to be ale to scare Lucifer but some didn’t want to rely on a god – even more powerful than any of them – who didn’t even bother to contact them.

The problem was that Sam had bound himself to Hell and that the place was accessible only on Lucifer’s good will. Gabriel had only gone twice, and that was because Lucifer had let him in. The other gods had never tried.

“How do you think Sam is doing down there ?” Dean wondered when Castiel came back.

“I hope he’s not hurting him, because if he is…” Bobby tapped his fist on the flat of his other hand.

“If someone can make his through Hell, it’s Sam. I’m sure he’s keeping Lucifer at distance.” Castiel didn’t know much about Lucifer, but he knew Sam, and he had faith in him.

The gods had decided to look for Zeus and to prepare another way to enter Hell in case they didn’t find him. They only had to hope that Sam would stay safe until then. 


	7. Chapter 7

Sam had surprisingly got used to Hell very quickly. He liked to stay in the garden, playing with Ramsey mostly. He had been worried about eating and such at first, but Lucifer had explained that Hell would keep his body as it was, and that he wouldn’t die, so he didn’t need anything. It was weird not to sleep, but he liked to take fake naps, closing his eyes when leaning on a tree. He liked the big one better, even if he was disappointed that the fruits weren’t edible. He had explored the different areas, and met the demons that were keeping the place. He had seen the man who had locked him down with the hellhounds and learned that his name was Crowley. He gave him the creeps, so he avoided him. He met Rowena and couldn’t tell if she was trustworthy. Azazel had entered the throne room once when Sam was here and he had hated the demon right away, his skin crawling at his sight. Lucifer had told him, amused, that he was extremely good with potions and babies, and Sam had understood his meaning. The anger he felt at the man was irrational, given that he was comfortable with Lucifer, who had actually mastered the plan.

He should have resented the god of the dead. He should have hated him, or at least be more suspicious. But there was something about the god that made Sam feel at ease, and even attracted him. He wanted to know more about him and had to refrain himself to ask too many questions. He didn’t understand the god though. He had spent thousands of year in Hell, resentful of his family, had taken action by turning Sam mortal, had found him stuck in his kingdom and yet, he had done nothing to him. He could have killed him easily. Or torture him or at least chain him up somewhere. But he had showed him his realm, answered his questions and let him pet his dog. Ramsey was delighted, and she could often be found at Sam’s sides. He had found that the hellhound could be vicious, and that she didn’t trust anyone but Lucifer – and Sam, for some reason. He had seen her maul a demon who had been disrespectful with her master and he was glad to have her on his side.

He met some new souls, who had just died and were panicking at finding themselves here. He reassured them, wishing them a good rest. Lucifer laughed a lot when he found about this, but his face showed that he was somewhat impressed. He had also been surprised at seeing Sam fitting in so well. Sam had been shocked to hear about the tortures and had asked why they did it.

“They need the pain, Sam. Those souls have regrets, remorse about the wrong they did on Earth and they want to expiate. Once they have enough, we stop.”

It broke his heart, as it was a hard concept to understand for him but there was nothing he could do. He had sought refuge in the garden, followed by Ramsey. Lucifer had come a few hours later, sitting next to him. He had said nothing, but his presence has soothed Sam and did more good than whatever word he could had provided. He still refused to watch, covering his ears whenever he heard the shouting.

He had taken to swimming, and Lucifer had extended the stream to a river for him. He had refused to change the sky though, because he liked it better as a night sky. Sam missed the feeling of the sun on his skin, but the cold didn’t bother him anymore. He couldn’t hurt himself either. He had fallen from a tree once and had worried, but he felt nothing except the shock. He was glad that he could still enjoy the feeling of water on him and the warmth of Ramsey. But he didn’t need to breathe here, so he swam under water, looking for the strange fish he found in there.

“You wouldn’t believe the nerves some demons have !”

He was pulling himself out of the water when Lucifer dropped on the ground next to Ramsey and threw her a branch.

He liked to rant sometimes, Sam had learned that after a while. He couldn’t blame the god. He couldn’t talk to Ramsey, not really and the demons weren’t his friends. He thought that Lucifer was actually very lonely, isolated from his family and doing a job that did nothing to cheer him up. Sam could empathise and didn’t know if should be scared at finding excuses at the god’s behaviour so easily. But he couldn’t help feeling close to him and wanting to comfort him.

“Crowley and Rowena again?”

“No, Asmodeus this time. I swear, you give them a bit of responsibility and they think they get the crown !”

Sam laughed and covered himself.

“Do you ever get a break from all this?”

“There’s no break, Sam. And where would I go?”

“Anywhere. Go eat a cake at Croatoan, see the circus at Rome…”

“I’m not going anywhere near humans.” Lucifer said with a disgusted face.

“If I could teleport like you, I would go home. I wonder how my parents are doing, if Castiel told them…” 

“Your parents know, I’m pretty sure they’re bringing holy fire to rain on me sooner than later.”

“Not them. My human parents.”

“Oh. Forgot you had those.”

“They must be worried. I got lost in the woods once, they were crying so hard when they found me.”

He had avoided thinking of them until now, but he felt a lump in his throat as he pictured their faces.

“You’ll see them when they die.”

He was sure it was meant to be comforting but he felt tears in his eyes at the thought.

“Or before.” He quickly added. “Maybe the gods will find a way to bust you out of here.”

He turned, looking at Lucifer with shock. The god _was_ trying to comfort him, his tone a bit panicked and uncomfortable.

“You want me to leave?”

“If you’re not happy here…” He said with a shrug. But he looked away and the corner of his mouth quivered.

“Lucifer.”

He put a hand on his shoulder.

“I am happy here.”

There were so many things on the tip of his tongue but he kept them in his head and squeezed his hand harder, feeling the cold of the god’s body spread in his fingers.

After that, they settled in a comfortable routine. Sam liked to run in the forest, admiring the different trees, plants and flowers. He spent most of they day in the garden, relaxing or looking at the sky, that reproduced the stars perfectly. Lucifer joined him and Sam asked about the gods, the creation of the world or about Hell. Asking personal questions was trickier, but he managed to make Lucifer open up to him sometimes. He learned more about the relationships between the gods, how Gabriel and Lucifer had been close once, how Zeus had left one day, without warning. He told him about his role in Hell, and despite the soft, steady voice, Sam could feel the hurt behind the words, at having been left behind, where no other god wanted to come.

He wondered what the others were doing. It was hard to imagine he had lived on Earth, as he found himself fitting in like he never had here. Lucifer looked up sometimes, a worried look on his face, when he thought that Sam wouldn’t notice. But he always smiled warmly at him, more and more. He laughed sometimes, when Sam made silly jokes or told him about how the human world worked. It never stopped amusing him. He had been among the humans a few times, long ago and he had hated it. When Sam told him about how he had been treated when he was younger, the god actually got angry. Maybe more than necessary, but Sam knew it was his way to apologize, because it was him that had put Sam here after all.

“Your soul is different from them. I mean, humans but also gods. You’re something else.” He commented, running a hand on Sam’s chest. “I suppose it’s my fault.”

“Is it bad?”

“No.” He said after a while, fingers tapping his chin. “Not at all.”

Sam didn’t think anymore about how he should have been angry at the god. He stopped worrying over his guilt, because Lucifer seemed genuinely kind, even if a bit clumsy sometimes.

It was about a month after his jump in Hell that the gods arrived. They were in the throne room and the walls and ground began to shake.

“Here is your rescue party, Sammy.” There was regret in his voice, Sam noticed.

Lucifer sat on his throne, wiping an inexistent dust on his toga. He placed his arms on the armrest, smiling. Sam stood there, wondering what the gods had planned.

Castiel and Dean were here first, visibly relieved at seeing him unharmed. He was glad to see them.

“Sam! We’re getting you out of here.”

“The gods are working on your seal and then they’re gonna deal with Lucifer.”

“Wait…”

A loud sound like a detonation filled his ears and he had to cover them. When he opened his eyes, there were several gods standing before him. He recognized Gabriel, who winked at him before approaching Lucifer.

He was grabbed by the arm and pulled out of the throne room before he had the time to blink.

“Wait, wait, what are you gonna do to him?”

“What he deserves.” A slender man answered. “Hello, I’m Balthazar ! Let me see that binding.”

He circled Sam, chin in hand, humming.

“Ah ! That’s what I thought.”

He pushed his hand in Sam’s chest, as if he wasn’t solid. Sam gasped in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“Boosting your soul. Don’t move.”

“It’s a good thing you’re in Hell, otherwise it would hurt a lot.” Castiel added with a little nod.

“What is it supposed to do?” Dean asked.

“The gods had already weakened the binding. But Sam is mortal and leaving Hell is not supposed to be possible. Not on his own.”

He patted Sam on the shoulder, stepping back and looking expectantly at him. He didn’t feel any different. He touched his chest where Balthazar had put his hands, still shuddering at the thought, but everything seemed fine. The walls began trembling again and his mind immediately went to Lucifer.

“Sam, where are you going?”

He didn’t answer and passed by them, running through the hall. The gods were fighting. They were a dozen against Lucifer, but it was his kingdom and his power was strengthened by the place. Ramsey was barking at the gods but had been stopped by iron bars forming a circle around her. She whined when she saw Sam, as if she was pleading him to help them.

Lucifer was smiling, deflecting the other gods’ attacks as much as he could. He could feel the drop in temperature that indicated how much he was using power. There was fire flowing around in a bright stream and Sam spotted Kali in the middle, eyes alight with fury. He thought he had seen Gabriel next to her but he was closer to Lucifer. After a quick scan of the room, he understood that there were several illusions of Gabriel. There was a blond god with an impassive face who was throwing iron bars in which seemed to be a random choice of directions, but was surely anything but and it made Sam’s stomach twist in fear.

He wanted to get closer but stepping in the middle of enraged gods didn’t seem like a good idea. A redhead goddess avoided a ball of blue lightning and fell at his feet.

“Get back, Sam, we got this.” She said before getting back to the battle.

The walls were freezing, ice recovering the rock. An iron bar pierced Lucifer’s shoulder, pinning him back to his throne. Sam felt like he had been the one wounded.

“Lucifer!” He shouted.

They locked eyes and Lucifer paused at Sam’s horrified face. The second of hesitation was enough. The bar lighted up and the gods all struck at the same time. It was quiet after that. Lucifer was looking away, a resigned expression on his face.

“Lucifer. You’ve gone too far. You’ll stay here and think about your actions.”

Gabriel came into Sam’s view and put his hands on his shoulders.

“Michael will take care of the rest.”

They were back at the market place.

“I’m so sorry for everything, I didn’t think my own brother would try to hurt you.”

“He didn’t hurt me.” Sam said, defensive.

“He’s not that reckless. But he tried to kill you when you were a baby. I can’t forgive that.”

Kali was the second to fly out of Hell. She radiated calm and confidence, and she lifted kind eyes on Sam, cupping his cheek.

“My son. How well you’ve grown.”

“Sam! You’re back !”

Bobby was running towards them. He hugged Sam tightly, patting his back with tears in his eyes.

“I thought we had lost you, boy !”

It was overwhelming, to have so many people around him, all overjoyed to see him out of Hell. He couldn’t forget the pinch of his heart when he thought of Lucifer, alone and imprisoned on his own throne. How could he tell the gods that he didn’t really want to leave Hell? Gabriel was right, Lucifer had tried to kill him. But he had also be kind to him.

“I want to go home.” He said in a low voice.

“Home?”

“In Lebanon.”

Gabriel and Kali looked at each other. They would have loved to see their son come home with them, but Sam was still a mortal and he couldn’t live on the Mons. They took him to Mary and John, who cried a lot when they heard the whole story.

It was nice to be home. He had changed a lot since he had left and everything looked smaller somehow. He was pleased to find that nothing had changed though. They even went to the city, where people had heard about his achievements. They were way more accepting of him now. He went back to making pottery with his mother, telling her about the beautiful pieces he had seen at the market where he had met Bela. He visited Victor, who listened to his whole story with rapt attention.

“You’ve made your way since we met, son. I’m glad.”

He learned that him and Bela were now working together, as she was very talented to find lost artefacts or to spot wanted people. She was also very good at convincing people – a nice telling for coercion, Sam was sure of that.

He also went to see Pamela. She flicked him on the head when he told her about his jump in Hell. But she was also the first to see through his facade.

“Tell me, Sam, why are you really here this time?”

He closed his eyes, breath frozen in his lungs. When he opened them, it all came out pouring. All he hadn’t said to his family, everything he had been losing sleep over, all about Lucifer.


	8. Chapter 8

“No way.”

“Please!”

“I’m not killing you!”

“I won’t be dead for real !

“Sam no!”

Pamela gulped her drink and made the glass bang on the table. She remembered the skinny boy who had come to her for help, asking to speak to the gods and she hadn’t thought that he would be back to ask for more. Especially not something that dangerous.

“Sam, it’s too dangerous. Besides, what makes you think he’ll let you come back?”

“I need to see him.”

He knew Pamela could do it. He needed to go to Hell and talk to Lucifer. He had tried to bury his feelings but he was drifting, consumed by how much he missed the god. However, to enter Hell, one had to be a god, a demon or a dead human. So he had asked Pamela to find a way to kill him. Temporarily. He just needed some time for his soul to pass through the gates and he would come back. There was no need to say that she wasn’t convinced.

“I wasn’t down there, I know, but are you sure ? All I heard about him doesn’t really give him the good role.”

She had come to like the young hero and she didn’t want to lose him. And if she did, it would be her fault and the gods would make fire rain on her.

“I’m sure.”

“What if he doesn’t let you go? You’ll die Sam.”

His silence was eloquent enough. She groaned.

“What have I done to the gods to deserve this ?”

She rummaged through her belongings, pushing numerous bottles filled with different liquids – was that a human skull? – and dusty books written in weird languages.

“I’m gonna need more time. Who knows about this?”

“You’re the only one.”

“Why am I even asking?” She said, exasperated.

She sent him home with a flick of the wrist, telling him to come back in a few days. It was hard to act like nothing was about to happen. He was a bit scared, of course. If there was anything wrong with the spell, he would be dead.

Castiel often came to see him, giving him news of his parents. They had visited him twice, but they were busy on the Mons. They had been ecstatic to meet John and Mary, who had told them about every embarrassing story from Sam’s childhood. Castiel and Dean were disgustingly happy together. He had found Dean’s son and ex, to check what they had become. Dean had been glad to hear that his son was growing well, but had decided to stay away.

Sam dreamt more and more of Hell. Memories of his time there, of Ramsey, of the garden. Of Lucifer. His nonchalance, his faint smile and the bitterness that stuck to him whenever he let himself think of his family. He hadn’t dare to talk about his time in Hell to someone else. He didn’t know how to explain how he had found himself drawn to the god who had tried to kill him.

He had to wait until Pamela would tell him that she was ready. It made him nervous and restless. He took to running even at night, needing to exhaust himself to think of something else. He had never made so many bowls to sell at the market. Thankfully, there were still monsters to hunt.

He was in the middle of decapitating a vampire in a town nearby when a short and skinny man told him that Pamela wanted to see him. He had no idea who he was but he thanked him. The man didn’t seem impressed by the monster corpse, his face polite and open. He was ready to go a few wraiths later.

When he found himself before Pamela’s door again, he felt like he was about to throw up. She installed him on the bed, lining up candles around him. He drank a potion and she traced sigils on his skin. She was still murmuring curses under her breath, berating him for being so reckless.

“You have an hour at most. I will bring you back after that.”

“Pamela, thank you.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Don’t thank me yet.”

She began chanting. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. His body felt heavy and he was sinking in the bed, sinking in the floor, his soul falling down, drawn by an irresistible force.

He felt light. It was a weird sensation. He didn’t know where he was but he could feel that he was pulled towards somewhere. He wanted to open his eyes to see better but he couldn’t blink. He was just a soul. So that was what being dead felt like ? It wasn’t that bad. The attraction acting on him was stronger and after a while, he began to discern what was around him. He was among other souls, making their way through Hell’s halls. There were a lot of them, a steady line of packed souls, of all ages. Some were not conscious, eyes glassy and still. Some were looking around them, a panicked look on their face, but too scared to move.

He wondered how they had died and hoped it hadn’t been too painful. It was different to see them from here. He had spent quite some time to talk to some of them when he was in Hell, but he was alive, on the other side. Now it was something else. He looked around too, looking for something he could recognize. The halls were still dull and grey, all alike, as they were before. He didn’t like them, preferring the garden and the throne room.

Suddenly, he saw the shadow of three heads at the corner. He shouted.

“Ramsey ! Ramsey help me!”

The hellhound perked up her head, ears twitching. She knew that voice and there was a faint smell that she knew was familiar. She trotted about, head tilting when she looked at the stream of souls.

“I’m right here ! I need your help !”

She whined, visibly having difficulty to spot him. She sniffed the air. The smell was flimsy but it was easy to recognize. She followed the movement, staying at his level.

“How do I get out? I need to see Lucifer.”

He tried to move, to detach himself from the group of souls but the force pulling them was too strong. He was stuck. He held out an arm. Ramsey barked when she saw it and jumped to reach him. He was moving faster and he was a bit high, but she kept on trying. Finally, she grabbed Sam and he was pulled on the floor. He hugged her and she yapped, tails wiggling and rubbing her head against him.

“Thanks. I’m glad to see you.”

The walls were unrecognizable. He had never tried to find his way without Ramsey. The hellhound had no difficulty to navigate through the labyrinth and had often made him ride on her back.

“Can you take me to the throne room?”

She barked and he followed her.

“You did what?”

Castiel knew Sam was acting in a suspicious way, but he wouldn’t have thought that he would ask such a thing to Pamela.

“But he can come back right?” Dean asked.

“Yes of course ! I don’t want to kill him.”

Her drink wasn’t strong enough to calm her nerves. And she really didn’t want to handle a pissed-off god and his equally pissed-off demon boyfriend.

“Why is he wiggling so much?”

They turned to the bed, when Sam’s body was writhing. She went to him and put a hand on his forehead, checking his energetic levels. She frowned.

“That’s not normal.”

It wasn’t supposed to have that effect. That meant he was encountering difficulty down there and that his soul was at risk. It would be harder to pull him out and she would have to leave him less time than she had promised him.

“That’s it, I’m going!” Dean groaned.

“You’re not going alone!”

Pamela looked at the space the couple left empty, sighing. She sat back, pouring herself another glass.

“I’m not paid enough for this…”

She began weaving additional spells to protect Sam.

Ramsey was barking with all she had, groaning in a menacing way and trying to shove the other hellhounds away. But they could only smell a wandering soul, that should absolutely be brought back to the Pit. He could feel their pull on his soul. If they took a hold of him, there would be no way to come back. He had seen them at work when some resilient soul would try to leave. He didn’t want them anywhere near him. They were smaller than Ramsey, for she was the alpha, but they were too many and they only had their duty in mind. She put herself between him and them, trying to hide Sam behind her huge body.

A wave of power struck the pack and they ran away, whimpering. He peeked from behind Ramsey, discovering Castiel still throwing crackling light towards the hounds. He should have known that Castiel would guess that he was up to something. Dean was here too and they both spotted him.

“Sam, what are you doing here ?” Dean yelled. “Do you have any idea of the danger you’re in ? ”

“I just need to talk to him. Go away !”

The god and the demon began tom come in his direction, still asking him to go back with them. He urged Ramsey to walk but she flattened herself to the floor.

“What ... ”

One of her head was looking at him, the two others facing away. He laughed and climbed on her back. She was right, they would go much faster this way. She darted, running through the halls and taking the turns at an amazing speed, leaving Castiel and Dean far behind. He petted her neck, leaning his face on her fur. He heard Dean curse. The hellhounds had come back and were encircling them. They couldn’t hurt them, Castiel was too powerful, but they would try to attack them and it could buy them some time.

“I owe you Ramsey. Let’s go to your master.”

Ramsey was almost flying. He couldn’t feel the air on his face, but they were going fast. They barged into the throne room, the doors opening at Ramsey’s arrival. The look of confusion on Lucifer’s face was worth it. He was still on his throne, the iron bar sticking out from his chest. His mouth hanged open, his eyes scanning Sam from head to toe.

“Sam?”

He jumped on the floor, stepping closer to the god. Seeing him again, face to face, made his heart burst with joy. He wanted to tell him how he was thrilled to see him, how he had missed him and how he would do anything to stay with him. That’s why he stood awkwardly next to him and said the most brilliant thing he could come up with.

“I see you’re still here.”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. They both looked away, in an uncomfortable silence. He threw little glances at the bar that was still keeping the god in place, firmly planted in chest and in the stone. Ramsey was pacing at the door, her paws beating the ground. Lucifer looked at Sam, and frowned when he saw that there was something off.

“Why is there only your soul here? What are you playing at?”

Sam gave him a small smile.

“I needed to talk to you. Pamela helped me, but I don’t have much time.”

Lucifer shook his head, but Sam would see he was fighting a smile.

“Your protector and his demon pet are here too. I felt them pop in. I’m surprised they agreed.”

“I didn’t ask them.” Sam admitted. “They followed me.”

Lucifer chuckled this time.

“Rebelling Samuel ? Careful. It could cost you a permanent stay in my kingdom.”

“Maybe that’s what I want.”

The god’s smile dropped.

“Sam. Brave and foolish Sam. You don’t mean that.”

“Why not?”

Footsteps warned them about Dean and Castiel’s arrival. There were hellhounds behind them.

“Sam ! What are you doing?” Dean asked one more time.

“I’m not gonna be able to hold them back much longer !” Castiel was facing away, still keeping the hellhounds at distance. They were stubborn, even if they knew they stood no chance against a god. Sam looked at Lucifer, throat tight. The god sighed, his voice soft.

“They feel that you’re not supposed to be here. Even I can’t change that. You should go Sam.”

“I don’t want to.” He whispered.

“Sam, I don’t know what he told you, but don’t trust him !” Castiel’s voice was strained both by the worry and by the effort he had to make to fight off the hounds.

“I worked for him, I know what he’s capable of, step back !” Dean was also worried for Sam, his eyes full of distrust when he looked at Lucifer.

They were staring at each other, Sam’s fists trembling at his sides. He was tired of pretending to be fine. He had spent so much time wishing to find his place, find somewhere he could be himself and be accepted, and he had found it. He didn’t want to lose it, even if he had to go against everyone’s mind.

“They’re right, you know. I’m exactly what they say. Why do you keep coming back? You’re the only one who doesn’t hate me. Maybe you should.”

He had the voice he used when he tried to pretend he wasn’t saying something that affected him. Sam could see right through him now. He laughed.

“Stop it. You’re not like that. You’re the one who keeps playing the role you think you’re supposed to fill. I know you. If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it a long time ago.”

Lucifer flinched.

“Go back to your world Sam. Hell is not a place for you.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me here?”

His mouth opened but he said nothing and looked away.

“Your soul is too bright you know? You’re _good_ and you’re bright, you should be up there, with the cloud club.”

His voice was pained now.

“I should hate you. But I don’t.” Sam said softly. “You were kind to me. I like it here.”

“I tried to kill you Sam. You shouldn’t forget that.”

“I want to forget. Why don’t you?”

“Because I don’t deserve it !” Lucifer spat. He had lost his posture, emotions raw on his face. “I was sent here because I didn’t belong there, and being alone was my punishment. I don’t want you here, because I want you to get what you should have had from the beginning, but didn’t, because I was jealous. You’re not supposed to be stuck here, you deserve to be happy, Sam and I don’t want to take that from you a second time.” 

Sam felt his heart swell with an emotion he had tried to conceal.

“You’re wrong. I won’t be happy anywhere but here.”

He closed his eyes, letting the cold waves of restrained power wash over him. He was aware of everything in the room. The hellhounds, their power and their attachment to Hell, the grace coming from Castiel, huge and warm, the distorted soul of Dean, strong and spiked with Hell influence. Lucifer’s presence, both overwhelming and calming, cold, powerful and attractive. He felt powerful himself, as he had never been.

He took a hold of the bar sticking out of Lucifer and pulled. He had never had difficulty to lift or pull anything, but for the first time, his strength didn’t seem to work. It was back, since he had been in Hell, like Lucifer had said. But the bar resisted.

“I don’t care what they think. I don’t care what you think. I forgive you. I’ll be the god of forgiveness, even if it’s only to you.”

He could feel the power forming from his words, his soul vibrating while his body reunited with it, expanding and melting, before exploding in a bright light, flooding Hell entirely. The bar shattered in his hand, disappearing.

It was a weird feeling to be a god. He felt huge, strong and yet completely out of it. He was seeing the world with a new clarity, a deep understanding and a different apprehension of space and time. It would have been overwhelming for a human, but he wasn’t mortal anymore, and he faced the change with calm.

Lucifer was still sitting, staring at him in awe.

“You chose your Task.”

Sam’s grace was beautiful. It was filling the space, fitting in Hell in a perfect way.

“I can feel your grace in me.” Sam marvelled. He could know what had happened without having been told. He just knew. “I drank it when I was a baby and it was always with me.”

“It was supposed to kill you.” Lucifer admitted.

Sam shook his head.

“It guided me towards you.”

Lucifer stood up, admiring Sam’s new force. It was brighter than ever. If he had felt attracted to Sam before, it was nothing compared to now. He lifted a hand tentatively and they joined their hands, enjoying their grace mingling with the other. It felt like coming home, like he was finally where he belonged.

Castiel and Dean were also watching, stupefied. Far from here, on Earth, Pamela screamed in horror when Sam’s body disappeared.

Epilogue

The gods have felt his turning. But they wouldn’t have guessed why it had happened. They were ecstatic at having Sam among them and they had assumed he would come to live on the Olympus Mons, with his parents. They were surprised to hear that he wanted to stay in Hell.

Sam had finally found the world he belonged to and he couldn’t have been happier. His parents, both humans and gods, gave him their blessing. Gabriel and Lucifer had a long talk, and no one knew what they had said to each other, but they had made truce.

Sam had found his role in Hell, finding the tortured souls in Hell and giving them peace by forgiving them when they felt ready. It appeased both him and them. Hell seemed less dull than before. Sam’s presence had changed it and it was warmer, less sharp angles and cutting edges.

Being a god was still new to him and he had to learn to cope with his new immortality. He visited the Mons, meeting all the gods and taking part in parties. His mortal friends and family congratulated him, making him promise no to forget about them.

Lucifer had lost his bitterness. He smiled more, even if he was still struggling with guilt. They were both learning to be together, but they had an infinite time before them, so Sam wasn’t worried. They completed each other, giving Hell a balanced rule.

xx

9/20

The plot is too far-fetched, losing the original context. The writing is not paced or balanced enough, the characters are cliché. The battle scenes deserved more work and the resolution is too quick.

Meg swore.

“I knew Metatron wouldn’t like it!”

Charlie shrugged.

“Who cares ? Derek made amazing illustrations. I love how he made Lucifer’s toga, the details are incredible.”

Kevin was still looking at the grade, aware it would affect his semester and blaming himself for having followed the others. He would pair with Gadreel next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the end ! I had a lot of fun writing it. I would love to have an illustration of Lucifer in a black toga, so I'm gonna try to ask that to a an illustrator I like. Not now, but when I will have it, I will post it :D  
> Now, think of that fic when you will watch Hercules and imagine Sam in a greek skirt !  
> Come talk to me on my tumblr, if you want to discuss or ask for a prompt.   
> I have other ideas in mind for these two!


End file.
